Difficulty: 4
Description: Otero Canyon provides beautiful vistas of Mt Ord, Four Peaks, Sugarloaf Mountain, Black Mountain and Weaver’s Needle. The trail is a mix of sandy wash and low-lying boulder wash beds. The main obstacle, Rocker Panel Pass, is 100 yards of a mixture of tight turns around large, panel grabbing boulders. Expect desert pin striping and a high probability of rear quarter panel “modification”.
Distance: 13 miles
Time: 6 hours
To the trailhead: Take Highway 87 north and turn left just past mile marker 207.
The trail:
Odometer |
GPS (see gpx file) |
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Enter gate onto dirt road and continue several hundred yards to open dirt area. Good spot to air down. |
0 |
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Turning right at the open dirt area, you will see a faded FS 160 marker. Follow this road. |
.3 |
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Several roads funnel together here. Cross the wash and follow it northwest. |
.45 |
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Turn left out of wash. |
.64 |
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Bear left and cross creek. |
.8 |
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Water crossing exits onto a sandy wash. |
1.12 |
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Turn left and follow sandy wash trail. |
1.68 |
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Turn left into wash. |
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At the fork, veer right (left is rocky) |
1.1 |
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Water crossing. |
1.3 |
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Veer left (left is sandy, right is boulders) |
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FSR 160 sign on the left |
2.5 |
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Wash narrows and you arrive at the start of Rocker Panel Pass. |
3.2 |
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Top of dirt hill. Continue straight ahead. |
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Turn right onto FS 1855. |
3.6 |
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Bear right at fork and continue southwest. |
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3.9 |
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Arrive at the top pf a small hill. At the T, turn left. Black mountain is on the left. |
4.2 |
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Fork left. |
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Drop into sandy wash. |
5.7 |
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Road uphill to right goes to the Rock and Wall play areas. Fork left. |
6.2 |
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Fork left into sandy wash/boulder area. |
6.7 |
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Turn left and follow sandy wash. |
6.9 |
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Track right |
7.2 |
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Return to river bed. Concrete retainer on the right. |
10 |
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Follow the main road back to highway 87 turnoff. |
References
Kopycinski, J. (2007) Otero Canyon: A Rocky Desert Trek. Off Road, 41(9), 26-27.